Sakura Teppanyaki and Sushi

$ 15 combo teppanyaki? yes please! They also have a cute little show that’s similar to the one at Benihana at ¹⁄₃ of the cost! I highly recommend Sakura over Benihana. Their lunch deals are definitely more economical than their dinner meals. Service can be a tad slow depending on how many chefs they have, but it’s definitely a fun experience that’s worth the wait. I felt like food quality was better than Benihana’s.
They also have a non-​teppanyaki half of the restaurant, but I hear their sushi is just soso. Parking in downtown redwood city isn’t too hard to find and so much cheaper than San Francisco: P Definitely worth the drive for a weekend lunch.

I had to sign up today with Unilocal just to post my horrible experience at Sakura on Broadway.
I went for lunch this past weekend with my teenage son. (I’ve been here before at dinner time and my experience was good). The place was full so we sat on the right side area as you walk in, its just the regular dining area (no grills nor chef action). We didn’t want to wait, we were hungry.
We ordered our food, I got the combo shrimp/​steak $ 16.95 and a Coke and my son got the grilled chicken plate $ 10.99 and hot tea.
#1. The food took a while to get to our table. I did see a lot of dishes sitting on counter for a while before coming out to the tables and the food warming light above the plates was off.
#2. Well my food was cold and rice was a little hard like it was from the night before. You also get a very small portion you only get 5 shrimps and like 5 small little cubes of steak that was tough to chew. I didn’t want to complain, but for $ 17 a lunch plate and getting a small cold portion, I had to tell the waitress about it. The water was never served not until I asked waitress we needed water, which was when my son was half way eating. I then spoke to the manager named Francisco, a short chubby guy, he was wearing a lavender shirt, he came to my table and I then informed him of the complaint he said he would deduct the soda and the fried rice which was only $ 1.00 for the fried rice! What the heck! Are u kidding me? We got cold food! I told him that I was willing to pay only for one plate due to the bad food and service, that’s half of my bill. I really thought he would accommodate us and even apologize but no! He instead started to get offensive and aggressive, he was yelling at me and my son in front of other customers all around. (All eyes were on us). He told me, «just don’t pay and don’t come back!» (He seemed overwhelmed too). Everyone around turned their heads to look at the commotion and all attention was on us. I was so shocked and embarrassed that as a manager he would react this way. Instead of being professional he wanted to argue and not regain my business or at least an apology? He made himself look like an ass in front of everyone. (Was he over the top stressed out that when I approached him he ignited some sparks)? Anyways no excuses NEVER treat customers this way especially in front of kids! I never said I would not pay the full bill, but he made that decision upon himself. I asked for the owner’s name and contact# and he just said, «oh he’s not here.» I told him what’s your name and I will definitely Unilocal.My son is 16 and he said he felt «threatened» by the manager. The way he was yelling at us in front of others. I saw other customer’s faces they got scared too. Awkward moment. It’s really unfortunate because I’ve been here so many times. I’ve referred friends and family here. I realized never sit on the right side of the restaurant, only where they have the open grill dining area. Otherwise u won’t get fresh food. This guy needs to get fired! I hope the owner does something about this! I will never go back until that manager is gone.

Better than Benihana’s! The food was fantastic, the show our server gave us was incredible, and the atmosphere itself was very fun and entertaining. We are so excited we found this gem and we will be back! We even had enough left over steak and chicken because the portions are big. And the sauces?! Fantastic. They are so mouth watering good! There’s not enough great things I can say about this place without you having to check it out yourself, delicious is an understatement!

I and my boyfriend went to this place last night. The foods were good compared to the same type place we have been too. The price is 10 $ cheaper than another tepanyaki places we have been. I got filet mignon and lobster tail. It tasted good. The fried rice wasn’t that good. It’s just average. The chef is pretty young, he was a little quiet. It could be because his English isn’t perfect, i heard he has pretty heavy accent. We would come back her. My bf likes this place. :)

This place is one of those «I probably won’t come back in a while but I can’t promise I won’t ever come back again» places. We ordered a couple things there. The miso soup is below average. The Chirashi bowl didn’t really worth the price. It had hella sushi ginger inside, which I don’t think you are supposed to do that. Not a big fan of the tuna sashimi from the bowl, but according to the sushi expert I ate which, the yellowtail sashimi was one of the better one he has ever had (I trust his opinion, so yeah). The Rainbow Roll, Unagi Nigiri, Yellowtail roll are pretty good though.

I thought that I would give this place another whirl. My brother is in town and wanted to show him a new place, but seriously… This is bullshit… And just noticed that my tea cup came with complimentary lip stick on the rim. Wow

We ate here Sunday evening, a few hours later my girlfriend was uncontrollably throwing up in the bathroom.
It’s now Monday morning and she is still throwing up.
She was completely fine and not ill until she ate here, so I can only conclude that she got sick at this restaurant.

Filet Mignon and chicken is the bomb! :P

Came here for a friends birthday for teppanyaki and had a pleasant experience. The waiters and cook were attentative, but the cook did seem a little bored at his job, but I can’t blame him if he does this for hours every day.
I had the filet minion and shrimp combo. The food wasn’t anything special and was a little expensive, but of course with teppanyaki you’re paying for the experience and show not the actual food.

I came here for my boyfriend’s birthday this weekend. We had been craving teppanyaki for a while, so I decided to come to this place! We were a group of 10, and service was really great! Taste-​wise, it’s pretty much standard teppanyaki (not much different than any other places I’ve been to), but it’s always a fun time!

Don’t order sushi here…
Super small rolls and expensive. Not worth it.
Just stick with the teppanyaki.

Like this place, good overall but not spectacular. Like cleanliness, good service. Food arrived fast, good place for parties. Good location.

I think, Im gonna make it a Sakuras night, tonight. My daughter has been begging to go all week. The whole family’s favorite.

To start off, the waiter Javier was just the funniest and nicest! He went out of his way to serve us, checking on us, cracking jokes, and doing «magic» to keep our girls entertained!
I will say the overall atmosphere was friendly and welcoming. It was slightly farther than the Ben… Restaurant from our place but we will definitely drive the extra miles.
Tasty food, a few dollars less than the B restaurant, and warm staff. Also, felt homey, not at all bust crazy like the other restAurant.

We were in the area, and we wanted to have a quick dinner before the show. So, we walked in and we were sited right away. The service is very good.
We ordered sashimi, Sakura roll, Giants roll, and spicy scallop hand roll.
Unfortunately, every single item from our order was tasteless and bland! We are sushi lovers, and this place is not for someone who loves good sushi or sashimi.
Very disappointed in their food, 2 stars for a good service, but sushi is 0 stars.

Back at my favorite spot. Rather its sakura 1 or 2 im there of the sapporo and saki, make
mine hot

Many of you know that eating Japanese cuisines is not one of my favorite. But surprisingly, this downtown Japanese restaurant has been under my radar for a while.
As I walked in, you get a choice of seating; the entertaining Hibachi area, the compelling sushi bar or the boring dining area. I chose the boring dining area, where it is nice and quiet.
From the menu, I ordered the grilled Hibachi chicken dinner. For $ 19.99, I get grilled boneless chicken meat and mixed vegetables cooked by the gifted chef from the Hibachi kitchen. Yes, for the price is a bit steep, the food is healthy but nothing too stunning. I also got a side of brown rice with my meal, which is a plus.
I also got a unique drink called the «Cherry Temple». For $ 3.50, I get a lemon-​lime soda with cherry syrup. They do give refill on this specialty beverage.
This Japanese restaurant is okay. But a second visit would be questionable though!

This is my 4^th time at Sakura’s and each time I enjoyed the food and the ambiance. The portions are plentiful and the flavorful (based on my taste preferences). Of course the chef that makes the food in front of us makes it more fun. It’s much like Benihana’s or Kobe Steak without the $$$. This place is much more reasonable.
In the four times I’ve been here, I was not disappointed so this is definitely a place that I consider when I come to a Redwood City.

I was kind to Sakura on my previous review, which was just after their grand opening. I’ve been back now several more times in the last few years. I’m less impressed than I was before.
In summary: A weak copy of a Benihana
An unfair comparison? Not at all. The owner left a career at Benihana to start this place; and he’s hired chefs that were trained at that nationwide chain. And he’s modeled the menu and cooking after Benihana as well.
So let the comparison begin. First and foremost, it doesn’t feel as nice nor as festive as your typical Benihana. (The space was previously a diner) The food is decent, but not quite as good; and the staff here seems generally unenthusiastic, including the chefs. Plus, the chefs’ antics with fire are a bit ridiculous (as pointed out very well by Kathleen M.). But like Benihana, the prices here are quite high. Given the choice between here and Benihana, I choose the latter.
I’m still glad there’s a Teppenyaki option in RWC, but Sakura is not my first choice for dinner out in this area. Nor is it even in the top ten. Downgrading to 3 stars.

We received gift cards to use at certain restaurants in Redwood City, so my bf and I made reservations here one evening after work. It was definitely one of the most entertaining meals we’ve had in a while. The chefs perform cool tricks and are very handy with their cooking materials. This place was also super popular with kids, which was pretty cute.
We ordered the steak and chicken couples set. It was a generous amount of food — more than enough to fill us up. The set included onion soups, salads, fried rice, shrimp appetizer, vegetables, steak, and teriyaki chicken. Everything was good except the chicken. It was actually pretty dry and not very good to eat at all. The steak and shrimp were both way better, so I would highly recommend ordering those instead.
The meal was pretty much free for us, so I can’t complain about the price. It’s not too cheap though, so I would imagine we’d only come back for a more special occasion. It seemed like a lot of birthday dinners were going around since the staff kept singing songs. Service was both good and bad. We had a very good/​attentive male server and a not so great female one. Overall, we still enjoyed our meal and would return.

5 stars based on great service by the happy, helpful, and friendly staff.
They offer a little bit of everything to satisfy a family with a range in tastes, from hibachi grill to sushi bar. No fresh board, just a basic selection, but satisfying. Being vegan, I just had a vegetable roll and seaweed salad, my mate: a spicy tuna hand roll and scallops nigiri. My roll was gigantic, one was plenty!